“You need to start a Mr. Skin site where you can just type in ‘gun handjobs’ in any movie and find it.”—Matt Walsh, Never Not Funny

“It will be called a Frank Collins.” “It should have been called a Dirk Diggler.”—Jason and Randy Sklar on the hot dog-garnished cocktail purportedly being considered by a minor-league baseball team, Sklarbro Country

“He was ageless, much like Dick Clark.” “I was going to say Dorian Gray.”—Holly Frey and Tracy V. Wilson on the strange agelessness of the Count Of Saint-Germain, Stuff You Missed In History Class

“If I’ve got something to say, I’ll say it to your damn face. That’s just the way it is. You see these scars on my face? A lot of times, people don’t like that, and they’ll punch you.”—Russell Stookey, This American Life

“He was able to reach deep into the soul of a human being and pull it out and put it up onto canvas.”—Justin Bua on the genius of Rembrandt, You Made It Weird

RuPaul: What’s The Tee?RuPaul Charles and Michelle Visage’s professional relationship goes back to the mid-’90s VH1 talk show The RuPaul Show, which they co-hosted, but the friendship between the RuPaul’s Drag Race judges stretches back even longer. The decades of history between the two make them ideal co-hosts for a chatty, laid-back podcast like RuPaul: What’s The Tee? (As Ru explains, the “tee” in the phrase “what’s the tee,” and more modern iterations like “no tee no shade” are drag-lingo for “truth.”) Though RuPaul’s is the marquee name once again, the dynamic on the podcast is one of equals, with both hosts bringing their own expertise and interests to the mic. In the premiere episode of the hourlong bi-weekly podcast, that translates to Ru spilling tee on gay culture/history and meditation, Michelle on the intricacies of fake nails and Madonna, and both of them on behind-the-scenes info on Drag Race and tips for queens who want to audition for the reality-competition show.

Make no mistake, What’s The Tee? is for fans of Drag Race and its host,and almost no one else, but those already interested will find a lot to like about the show, particularly the chance to hear the softer, friendlier side of Visage, who tends to fill the role of the heavy on the Drag Race judging panel. There’s obviously a lot of love and respect between the two co-hosts, and their banter never gets too mean-spirited, even when they’re being, in their words, catty bitches. Even better, they’re both experienced on the mic as hosts and interviewers, so the show never lags, with the two constantly throwing back and forth to each other with ease. For those who love a good kiki, it’s worth an iTunes subscription. [GK]

True Crime TimeTrue Crime Time bills itself as an irreverent foray into crime, criminals, and the criminal justice system. Hosted by a husband-and-wife duo, episodes feature a rundown of crime stories ripped from the headlines followed by an in-depth case study, usually of a serial killer. While a case could be made that the more inept criminals discussed deserve some derision, the hosts’ attempts to joke about more serious cases is at best misguided and, more often, tasteless; a discussion of a woman who won a judgment against a policeman for sexual misconduct early in episode #24 is particularly problematic. Considerations of the psychology of criminals and serial killers like Robert Pickton, who is profiled in episode #19, don’t fare much better, as the hosts’ ramblings offer little insight. This all contributes to an overly glib tone that makes True Crime Time difficult to sit through, let alone enjoy. [DF]

Bonnie & Maude #20: His Girl Friday + NetworkThe theme connecting the two movies this week is “Working Women,” and hosts Eleanor Kagan and Kseniya Yarosh tie Howard Hawks’ His Girl Friday and Sidney Lumet’s Network together with the capable women at their centers. Bonnie & Maude uses the examples in these two films to dig into the notion, and depiction, of female empowerment in the workplace, resulting in a conversation that nicely touches on both the strength of the characters and some of the more ridiculous aspects of the films (and the hosts’ collective love for the 1940s attire in His Girl Friday). Splicing in various sound bites from the films gives the episode a nice bit of energy, especially the quotes from His Girl Friday, whose dialogue is so fast-paced it’s sometimes barely comprehensible. The hosts have more to say about the Hawks film, but that’s not particularly surprising given its incredible patter and charming leads. [NC]

Book Fight! #58: Howard Jacobson, The Finkler QuestionNeither Tom McAllister nor Mike Ingram even bother trying to hide their disdain for Howard Jacobson’s Man Booker Prize winner, The Finkler Question, and the episode opens with an emotional downer. But the guys bounce back quickly, and this week’s most entertaining segment is without a doubt Fan Fiction Corner, which goes dark in its examination of “alternate-universe” fan fic with characters from Friends, The O.C., and Home Alone (yes, really). Things turn serious when they admit that sometimes fan fic is a cry for help. Bright side: A new Book Fight! call back may have been born. Here’s hoping that the catchphrase “Hugs occurred.” catches on. [ABa]

Comedy Bang! Bang! #281: Bro Boarders: Matt Walsh, Tim SimonsMaybe it’s the laid-back familiarity between Comedy Bang! Bang! veteran Matt Walsh and rookie Tim Simons (both cast members on HBO’s Veep) or maybe it’s because their casual monotones sound strikingly similar, but the first half of this CBB is driven largely by the non sequiturs of Scott Aukerman at his absurdist hosting best. Walsh and Simons play it affably straight as Aukerman struggles to grasp everything from the concept of their show to sleep patterns in modern society, until Walsh ducks out and returns as “chill-boarder” XJR& (pronounced X.J. Rampersand)–a bro’s bro who isn’t karate kidding about his charity, Bro Boarders. Walsh handily owns much of the second act with XJ’s recipe for a Red Bull sandwich, but the highlight comes near the end with what could potentially go down as the most fiercely contested game of Would You Rather? in CBB history. [TK]

Doug Loves Movies: Sarah Silverman, Wayne Federman, Rich SommerNot to put too fine a point on it, but Dan Van Kirk’s ongoing Mark Wahlberg impression is a rather amazing addition to the show. Somehow, Van Kirk’s Wahlberg interruptions seem to get funnier as the show goes on. Aside from this new staple, Benson assembled a panel that shares a great camaraderie, and Sarah Silverman proves particularly charming. It’s a panel that Benson doesn’t have to work hard to rein in. Instead, he maintains a pithy flow with the guests throughout the show. The chat portion consists of Wayne Federman telling an interesting anecdote involving a weed deal and Barbra Streisand. This week also features a welcome and rousing return of The Leonard Maltin Game. [MS]

Filmspotting#486: Top 5 Performances by Non-Professionals / Joe / Mistaken for StrangersIn the process of listing their favorite acting performances by non-professionals, Adam Kempenaar and Josh Larsen inadvertently trigger a philosophical dialogue about what constitutes a non-professional actor. They begin with the somewhat arbitrary restrictions against using either children or musicians. Does a mixed martial arts fight count as a performance? Should a person playing a version of themselves be considered an acting performance? What if it’s a documentary? A somewhat fictionalized documentary? That the two hosts come to no simple consensus highlights the odd middle ground between fact and fiction that many filmmakers exploit with their casting decisions. Unsurprisingly, a handful of experimental directors’ names pop up multiple times over the course of the discussion, such as Steven Soderbergh, Robert Bresson, Vittorio De Sica, and David Gordon Green, whose choice to give a lead role in Joe to the previously unknown Gary Poulter triggered the conversation. [DD]

The Fogelnest Files#86: Vinegar Syndrome And Massacre VideoThough aficionados of obscure media will find a goldmine of arcane information in this episode, even listeners with only a moderate appreciation of the darker, stranger corners of cinema history should appreciate Jake Fogelnest’s conversation with film archivists Joe Rubin of Vinegar Syndrome, a company that restores and re-releases long-forgotten X-rated and exploitation oddities, and Louis Justin of Massacre Video, which does the same for cult classics shot on VHS. A clear highlight is hearing Justin’s story of how he tracked down the assumed-dead Chester Novell Turner, director of Black Devil Doll From Hell, a mind-boggling, cheap, bizarre blaxploitation horror film starring a ventriloquist’s dummy that absolutely defies explanation. Both guests are impressively knowledgeable, extremely well-spoken and, above all else, sincere. There is not a drop of ironic detachment to be found in the entire episode. Just three guys talking about a common love for some weird movies. [DD]

Freakonomics: What’s More Dangerous: Marijuana or Alcohol?This week’s episode aims to tackle an argument that’s been going on for a century: Which is worse for your health and wellbeing, pot or booze? Alcohol, due to its toxicity, damages the human heart, brain, and contributes to high blood pressure. According to one guest, it’s partially responsible for accelerating deaths of 3 million people (and is the leading cause of death behind tobacco). On top of all that, these figures don’t take into account death and damage due to drunk driving and other crimes committed while under the influence. Half of all murderers were drunk or buzzed when they acted, and two-thirds of all domestic abuse perpetrators were the same. Marijuana use, on the other hand, has no connection to violence. Likewise, the argument that pot is a “gateway drug” doesn’t really stand up to scrutiny. Turns out stoners everywhere were right: Pot is better for you. [NC]

Improv4Humans#129: LIVE at the Chicago Improv Festival: Ian Roberts, Matt Walsh, Betsy SodaroMatt Besser assembled Matt Walsh and Ian Roberts, two fellow Upright Citizens Brigade co-founders, and Betsy Sodaro for “LIVE At The Chicago Improv Festival,” a largely enjoyable foray into live waters. The crowd is with Besser and company all the way through, especially during the episode’s imaginative look into what to do when the tiny feculent loggers who live inside you go on strike. Live episodes are always risky for Improv4Humans, because so much of its consistent success is due to Besser’s elimination of the performance’s visual aspect. This week manages to avoid any previous missteps from live episodes and successfully ports the studio version of I4H to an enjoyably robust crowd. Walsh and Roberts trade off throughout as expert straight men, often setting up one another for killer punchlines. From front to back, this is one live episode not to miss. [MK]

Nerdist#506: John De LancieEvery so often, Chris Hardwick books a ubiquitous character actor as a guest and they almost always make for great interviews. This is certainly the case for actor John De Lancie, who is probably best known for playing Q on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Donald Margolis (Jane’s father on Breaking Bad). Naturally, Hardwick wastes no time discussing Breaking Bad, which is great for those who have yet to get that show out of their systems. De Lancie shares a touching anecdote about how recovering addicts approach him and admit that after watching him on the show, they now know what they put their parents through. Aside from De Lancie’s acting, Hardwick and company touch on his involvement producing a documentary on Bronies, of all things. [MS]

Nerdist#508: Brian HensonBrian Henson—son of Jim Henson and current chairman of The Jim Henson Company—drops by Nerdist for an absolutely fantastic chat with Chris Hardwick. In between describing the creation of puppet characters—their personalities can come from the puppet maker, the writer, or the puppeteer—Henson shares stories of growing up in the Jim Henson household. The whole company was warned that Jim might bring any of his five children anywhere—from the workshop to meetings with Jackie Onassis. Jim Henson also built elaborate dollhouses and toys for his kids, and occasionally brought home “retired” puppets for them to play with. Henson’s stories about his father intermingle with insights into puppeteering; a good puppeteer can make a puppet move, but a great puppeteer will make a puppet come to life as a “thinking being.” Henson offers up some fun stories about the creation of Kermit and Miss Piggy, but the heart of this episode is hearing him celebrate the innovations and artistry of an American media legend who just happens to be his dad. [CS]

Never Not Funny#1411: Matt WalshMatt Walsh, co-founder of the Upright Citizens Brigade and co-star of HBO’s Veep, is in the studio to help Jimmy Pardo and the rest of the Never Not Funny team answer life’s important questions: whether Billy Bob Thornton counts as famous, how difficult it would be to masturbate yourself (or your friend) at the command of gun-wielding street toughs. Pardo and Walsh—whose relationship stretches back to Chicago in the ’90s, when they were both just starting their onstage careers—occasionally drift into esoterica, reminiscing on comedians and venues that won’t mean much to many fans. In the process, they discuss a common friend that both men agree would have, or should have, reached celebrity status had he decided against staying put in Chicago. It’d be hard to hear this and not feel a tinge of sadness for the vast reservoir of talent that goes largely unseen every day. [DD]

99 Percent Invisible: #110: Structural IntegrityThe Citigroup Center in New York is one of the more interesting corporate headquarters in the world. Just looking at the skyline, the building seems relatively generic, but the bottom nine stories aren’t there: Only a handful of stilts support the 50 floors above. The particular quirks of construction made the Citigroup Center susceptible to wind gusts that could knock the entire building down. The designers and Citigroup worked in secret to fix the building, and with the timely occurrence of a newspaper strike, no one wrote about the undisclosed but obvious construction happening in Midtown Manhattan. The head architect of the building claimed that an unknown male student in New Jersey pointed out the building’s fatal flaw. But, from what 99 Percent Invisible can tell, that unknown student was a woman, Diane Hartley, who claims she’d never spoken with the head architect. What begins as a story about saving the New York skyline quickly morphs into a mystery about memory and taking credit. [NC]

Professor Blastoff #151: Science of Creativity: Corey Beilstein, Rob Cherry IIIThe exceptionally rare occasions in which Professor Blastoff breaks format to turn the microscope on its hosts are likewise exceptionally gripping, with past guests Corey Beilstein and Rob Cherry III’s brief tag-team stint in the interviewer role being a prime example. Despite the title, the episode is primarily philosophical in nature as the typically pragmatic David Huntsberger and heart-on-her-sleeve Tig Notaro take the lead in illuminating the ways their egos affect their perceptions of themselves and their comedy, comparing especially the expectation that bands plow through their greatest hits at every show with how absurd they’d feel doing the same on a stand-up stage. Still, they leave ample room for their guest hosts to advise them on how the human brain chemically prepares to become creative. The result blows the roof off of recent Blastoff installments. [NJ]

Sklarbro Country #195: Cum Sock Bet: Ari Shaffir, David HuntsbergerThe last bones of the Carlos Mencia joke-stealing controversy have been picked cleaned for years, so it’s curious that Jason and Randy Sklar seem so determined to relive Joe Rogan’s 2007 Comedy Store confrontation—which in modern comedy lore has all but inflated to Welch, McCarthy trial “Have you no decency?” levels—with guest and alleged Mencia-victim, Ari Shaffir. Fortunately, the segment is short, and the conversation evolves into less covered, more organic territory. The Sklars have a knack for engaging with guests about controversial topics in a benign, genuinely interested way, so when the adamantly atheist Shaffir shoots down an anecdote about a moment of spiritual serendipity, Jason and Randy take the opportunity to open up a thoughtful discussion about how they appreciate the sense of community shared by performers and the faithful alike. In the end, it’s a fascinating discussion about two different sides of the same opinion. [DJ]

Song Exploder #8: Loren BouchardBob’s Burgers isn’t just one of the funniest shows on television, it’s also one of the best examples for how catchy, original music can be integrated into animation. As creator and composer Loren Bouchard says, “Music is one of the greatest tonal controllers that there is. Music is the secret weapon of Hollywood.” Bouchard’s breakdown of the theme song for his show is fascinating, slowly compiling all the various layers. He started with the light ukulele line, doubled it with a baritone ukulele, then kept adding instruments until electric guitar, various drums, a bowed bass, and even a few blips from a Casio keyboard filled everything out. Jon Benjamin (Bob Belcher) and Eugene Mirman (Gene Belcher) also offer brief thoughts on Bouchard’s affinity for ukulele and the innate optimism of the theme. But the best part is that Bouchard plays an extended version of the theme that’s never been heard before, and will hopefully be on the show’s soundtrack album when it’s released in the fall. [KM]

Sound Opinions #437: Giorgio MoroderA legendary disco producer who deserves credit as a musician as well, Giorgio Moroder is riding high on a deserving wave of revival praise thanks to his contributions to Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories. His interview with the Sound Opinions guys covers his days in Germany producing disco hits for Donna Summer, early synthesizer soundtrack experimentations for feature films, and his recent collaboration with Daft Punk. He even expresses his mock-jealousy at the equipment available to producers like Avicii today and what he would’ve done with such technology at his disposal in his youth. It’s a refreshingly bouncy episode that covers the career of a producer who got a bit lost when disco died, and now has appropriately returned to the popular fold with the resurgence of a scene he helped create and define. [KM]

Stuff You Missed In History Class: The Count Of Saint-GermainHosts Tracy V. Wilson and Holly Frey take on quite a labor in explaining the existence of the Count Of Saint-Germain. Born at some point between 1690 and 1712, Saint-Germain was one of history’s most charismatic frauds. While rubbing shoulders with English royalty, he spread legends about himself through eccentric behavior, as well as mysterious lies such as his insistence that he was well over 300 years old. A competent chemist and virtuoso musician, Saint-Germain insisted on transcending his tangible talents so that he might also be seen as a man who could melt diamonds at will and teleport at whim. Frey and Wilson wisely avoid drinking too deeply of Saint-Germain’s bizarre charms, portraying the man as one history should know despite his own attempts to avoid classification. Eventually fleeing France and spending the rest of his life drifting between countries, the man appeared to have difficulty keeping a lasting connection with others. Trying to connect with him retroactively is then all the more enjoyable. [DT]

Stuff You Should Know: How Dissociative Identity Disorder WorksListeners who are curious about the more intense psychological disorders in the world will greatly appreciate the effort of hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant as they discuss dissociative identity disorder. Formerly known as multiple personality disorder, it was renamed purely to avoid the negative stigma attached to it in popular culture. Though it is a detaching reaction to intense, debilitating trauma it is still mocked often and viewed as not likely real. Defined as a host personality saddled with anywhere from one to hundreds of unique personalities, these people within people usually dislike and disregard the hosts and each other. The effected person’s personality is often severely disconnected from reality and Clark and Bryant make the afflicted seem more sympathetic than a fictionalized portrayal might. If the hosts seem extra cautious and avoid humor more than usual, it is worth it, but there are also plenty of moments for the hosts to joke about mispronunciations. [DT]

This American Life#522: Tarred And FeatheredDuring his introduction to reporter Luke Malone’s piece on pedophilia—a challenging subject, even for an episode dedicated to stigmatization—Ira Glass explains that, after hearing it, he emerged with a new sense of understanding. And this is not hyperbole; this story really is that remarkable. Malone focuses on a nineteen-year-old non-offending pedophile named “Adam” who formed an Internet support group for young pedophiles who, like him, firmly believe that sex with children is wrong. Adam is astoundingly honest about his attraction to children and it’s this honesty that makes it impossible to dismiss him. The narrative develops to show a man who, like many, struggles with a profound illness without any real support from the mental health care system. There are few considerations of pedophilia that are as candid, fair-minded, or eye-opening, no small feat considering it all unfolds in a 25-minute radio story. [DF]

Welcome To Night Vale #45: A Story About ThemEven for a show that specializes in the uniquely extraordinary narrative, “A Story About You” was a departure for Night Vale over a year ago, switching to a direct address style that remains one of the show’s best. “A Story About Them” follows a couple supporting characters from that direct-address episode: Two dangerous men, one who is not tall, and the other who is not short, who drive “a black sedan with tinted window into which innocent people disappear forever.” As with “A Story About You,” this episode depicts the strange phenomenon of the Night Vale radio station suddenly narrating the present action of certain citizens. “What they do is secret, but there is no need to hide it. Not in this town.” Some episodes of Night Vale are uproariously funny, while others are riveting in a gloomy, otherworldly sense. This is decidedly the latter. You are now pressing play on this episode of Welcome To Night Vale. [KM]

WTF #489: Ivan ReitmanIvan Reitman’s filmography over the past two decades (including Evolution, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, and the recent Draft Day) may not live up to his early comedies with Bill Murray (Stripes, Ghostbusters). But the director sure can tell a story. His family’s personal journey to escape from Czechoslovakia—his mother survived Auschwitz, his father fought in an underground resistance—is the very definition of harrowing. And Reitman’s career producing and directing film and television projects is all the more endearing for how he expresses the sheer accident of his fate. Marc Maron also gets the elder Reitman to discuss the differences between his work and that of his son Jason—his observations on the underrated Young Adult yield the best results. Serendipitous scheduling gifted Maron both Reitman directors during the same week on his show, and it turned out two standout episodes that play nicely back-to-back. [KM]

You Made It Weird#203: Justin BuaPete Holmes dredges deep into the creative process with his first fine artist guest, Justin Bua, whose portraits of musicians and breakdancers, with their elongated limbs and exaggerated facial features, can be viewed as an analog to the work of a stand-up comedian. Bua proves to be an easy conversationalist, both affable and well-informed, with an infectious passion for his craft. Like Holmes, he’s equal parts self-effacing and self-aggrandizing and more hyper-self-aware than arrogant. As is often the case, their engaging conversation makes an abrupt 90-degree turn about two-thirds of the way through, and the two L.A. transplants suddenly get very deep into vegan and raw food philosophy. Call it highly informative or overly credulous—there is a long discussion of the nutritional necessity of drinking the right kind of water—but either way, it’s certainly a stark line of division that may also divide listeners. [DD]

The Cracked Podcast #30: Shockingly Sexist Messages In The Modern WorldThe ways sexism and misogyny manifest in our culture is certainly a worthy and important topic. However, the messages discussed in the podcast seem more obvious than shocking. Case in point, the panel discusses female representation in Disney cartoons, which is pretty well-worn territory. [MS]

Hang Up And Listen: The Farewell To Throwing Arms EditionIt’s not that the Masters is boring… Wait, yes, it is. The Masters is an excruciatingly boring topic. The back half of the episode discusses the rise in Tommy John-surgeries in baseball pitchers and American football in China, but that still doesn’t save it. [KM]

How Was Your Week #163: Bruce McCullough “Talking Gump”It’s a shame that Julie Klausner–who admits to being a little out of it while recovering from surgery–affords so much time to an unspectacular monologue, leaving very little time to forge anything meaningful out of her interview with Kids In The Hall member Bruce McCullough. [NJ]

Judge John Hodgman:#156: Two’s CompanyThis week plays like another discarded Portlandia sketch: Margaret and Bruce are best friends and platonic housemates, but Bruce refuses to reveal this scandalous arrangement to his grandparents. The parties’ ensuing giggle fest is not infectious. [DXF]

The Mental Illness Happy Hour#168: KiraKira discusses her disturbingly intrusive sexual thoughts about children in this episode, which is a difficult listen due to the subject matter and her understandable reluctance to disclose. Paul Gilmartin does a solid job balancing his curiosity and respect for her wariness, but this isn’t an installment for Mental Illness Happy Hour novices. [TC]

The Moth: Joby Ogwyn: The AscentNext month, base-jumper and GoPro dream boy Joby Ogwyn will debut a special on the Discovery Channel that follows his journey leading up to a wingsuit leap off Mt. Everest. This week, Ogwyn recounts a particularly meaningful ascent up the mountain. In a different medium, it sounds like an incredible story, but the amount of shoehorning it takes to make it fit with The Moth’s personal discovery tropes diminishes its impact a bit. [DJ]

Stuff You Missed In History Class: Wreck Of The Ten SailThe Wreck Of The Ten Sail refers to a 1700s convoy that wrecked itself on a coral reef off the Cayman Islands. Shipwrecks are dramatic but difficult to capture in storytelling, and unfortunately the poor documentation of the wreck combined with the expanse of time makes this episode a bit trying to stick with. [DT]

Stuff You Should Know: How Burlesque Works Burlesque has a confusing, oscillating history that weaves in and out of parody and empowerment. There is plenty here for those who wish to learn about burlesque, and plenty of fun from hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant. But their repeated tangents combined with the constant shifting and “hodgepodge” nature of burlesque makes the conversation difficult to follow.

Who Charted?#176: Hot Gomer PyleThis episode might play out better with co-host Natasha Leggero as the guest and actor/improviser Jeff Hiller as the co-host. Hiller is perfectly charming and competent, but Leggero comes off as a more compelling personality. Plus, it’s kind of endearing to listen to Howard Kremer flirt with her. [MS]

WTF#488: Jason ReitmanDirector Jason Reitman seems plenty genuine and likable in his conversation with Marc Maron, and the two achieve an especially strong rapport behind the microphones. However, they focus so intently on specific details of Reitman’s films throughout that it may drag for anyone who isn’t already a fan. [CG]